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Not only are flies in the house annoying, constantly buzzing around and driving pets to distraction, they are also incredibly unhygienic to have landing on surfaces, especially in areas where you prepare food. When it comes to getting rid of house flies, prevention is key, according to Kameliya Ilieva, pest control specialist at Fantastic Services.

She said: “For starters, you should avoid attracting them in the first place. Flies are most drawn by a smell or light. 

“Naturally, if you clean your home often, avoid leaving food in the open, clean the kitchen after cooking and avoid leaving lights on when opening windows or doors, far fewer flies will be interested in your home.”

However, even in a spotless house, flies will inevitably find a way in at some point. So it's worth adopting these natural and harmless solutions to get them out of the house and keep them out.

While some opt for chemical insecticides to get rid of homes, the pest control expert urged that this is “unnecessary”. She said: “There are far better, completely harmless, and eco-friendly ways to eliminate these pests.”

Here are four natural, yet effective option to opt for instead:

Mint and basil are commonly thought of as scents that flies dislike, meaning their presence acts as a simple repellent. 

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For those who have herb plants indoors, place the pots near the open windows in an attempt to stop flies in their tracks from crossing the threshold.

Kameliya suggested: “Flowers can be the best repellent of them all. Nature knows how to effectively deal with pests and has provided us with several herbs and flowers to prevent them from entering our homes.

“Just place some basil, marigold, lavender, bay leaves, or catnip around windows and doors. They will not only keep insects at bay but also beautify your surroundings.”

For those who don't have plants indoors but have a patch of mint or basil in the garden, pull a bunch of leaves and pop them in a glass to act as a vase and pop that by the window instead. 

The expert added: “You can also plant them in your garden to keep insects even further away.”

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Spritz a room with essential oils such as lemongrass or peppermint or use an essential oil diffuser to repel flies in an instant. 

These natural fragrances give off a strong smell that instantly deters flies from entering a home.

Luckily there are plenty of household sprays and also aromatherapy candles containing essential oils to make it easy to fill every room in the house with an unattractive aroma to flies – but one that smells delightfully pleasant to scent your home. 

Keep a bin smelling sweet to deter flies from coming inside to explore what treats await them at the bottom of the bin. 

Flies feast on decaying food waste and sugary substances, making kitchen bins an irresistible temptation. Keeping kitchen bins clean and smelling fresh can eradicate the problem before it starts.

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A simple trick to keep the bins fresh is to sprinkle a small helping of baking soda directly onto the bottom of the bin before placing a bin bag in. 

This will help to catch any moisture should anything spill from the bin bag once it's in use while subtly scenting the bin in the meantime. 

Citronella candles are renowned for their abilities to ward off flying pests and they are known to be the best scented candles for the garden to keep mosquitoes away. But they are a good natural way to deter flies also. 

Kameliya said: “Another way to prevent flies from entering your home is using citronella candles or scents. 

“They are effective, but only in a limited space, so you need to have a citronella candle for every window and door you are going to open.”

While natural methods are a suitable solution for how to get flies out of the house on the odd occasion, for those who have an infestation it might be time to call in professional pest control. 

The expert explained: “All the above methods are viable only if you fight against an occasional fly that enters your household. If you have a constant and significant fly population, you’d need to call an expert to deal with the problem.

“The main task is to find the source of the infestation. Before calling a professional, though, you need to check if all your windows and doors are undamaged and that there are no holes from which flies can enter. 

“The point of entry might be some eroded seal around doors or windows or cracks in the walls. If you’ve taken care of all these factors and you still have a fly problem, calling a professional is unavoidable.”

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